Improved machine for forming lock-joints in sheet metal



UNITED STATES PATENT OE JAOOB sEAw, or HINOKLEY, OHIO.

IMPROVED MACHINE FOR FORMING LOCK-JOINTS IN SHEET METAL.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 57,980, dated September11, 1866; antcdated September 2, 1866.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB SHAW, of Hinckley, in the county of Medina andState of Ohio, have invented a new and useful machine for pressing,closing, or finishing the seams, joints, or locks in vessels and otherarticles manufactured of sheet metal, which I call a Sheet-Metal-SeamPress 7 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact description of the construction and Operation ofthe same,reference bein g had to the annexed drawings, making a part of thisspecication, in which- Figure 1 represents alongitudinal elevation ofthe machine as seen at a side view. Fig. 2 represents it as seen whenthe front end is toward the observer. Fig. 3 is a plan representing itas seen when a person looks down upon it. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 representsections to be described hereinafter.

The plate O is the base, which may be conned to a bench or other fixtureby bolts or any other suitable device, thereby securing the machine insuch position as may be desired in order that it may be used.

To the plate O the post A is firmly attached, from which the arms B andD project. r1he arm B has a part somewhat thicker than the arm,projecting from it downward nearly at right angles, at the end oppositethe post.

A cavity is made across the lower side of the arm inside of the partlast described, and another inside of the post A. (See Fig. 1.)

U is a vibrating beam, which has a short convex projection at each endon its upper side, each of which corresponds with and worksin one of thecavities in the arm B.

A conical point projects from the rear end of the beam, and when it isin its place works in a conical cavity in the post A.

A conicalpointed screw, which passes through that part of the arm Bwhich projects downward at its front end, and seen.

near B, Fig. l, enters a conical cavity in the front end of thevibrating beam, securing it in its place, allowing it to vibrate freely,the vibrating beam being reduced at a bevel-angle on the side from whichthe arm or lever K projects, between the convex projections on its upperside from a line drawn from the end of one conical-pointed screw to thepointed friction on the points of the screws.

A lever, K, projects from the side ot' the vibrating` beam, by which itis Operated when in use. (See Figs. 2 and 6.)

Projections on the lower side of the vibrating beam (and a reduction toa bevel-angle on the side opposite the lever K, parallel with the angleon the side from which the lever projects) similar to those on its upperside, and a cavity cut inside of each projection, near the ends of thebeam across its lower side, admit of the connection therewith of thedie-plate F, which has a projection near each end similar to those onthe upper side of the vibrating beam, which work each in a cavity cutacross the lower side of the beam, and is connected with it by aconical-pointed screw, passing through each projection on the lower sideof the beam into a conical cavity in the projection on each end of thedie-plate, which sustains a similar relation to the vibrating beam asthe beam does to the arm B.

The die-plate is made with a lange on its upper side of about the samebreadth, including the thickness of the plate, as the thickness ot' thebeam C, and a bevel`angle on its upper side similar to that O11 thelower side of the beam, (see K, Fig. 6,) where the bevel is shown ontheflange on the die-plate, and also on the vibrating beam.

The flange on the dieplate, by its connection therewith, forms a rabbet,which admits ot' the attachment of the die E, which has a rabbet formedin it similar to that in the dieplatc, and a groove of proper form anddimensions to correspond with the seam or other form to be pressed, cutlongitudinally in` its lower side, (an end view ot' which is shown at E,Figs. 2 and 6,) is attached by means of screws, one of which isrepresented in Figs. 2 and 6.

Between the projection or flange on the die E, in which. the groove isformed, and the lower side of the die-plate F, the wedge W is placed. Ifit be driven in toward the rear end the die will advance toward the armD; if it be partiallywithdrawn it will be at a greater distance fromthat arm, and by that means may be adjusted to work thicker or thinnersheets of metal, an incline longitudinally, either on the lower vside ofthe die-plate or upper side of the iiange on the die, insuring itsparallelism with the upper surface of the arm D.

The lever K projects nearly at right angles, laterally, from the beam C,of which it forms a part, and to the outward end thereof theconnecting-rod G is attached by means of a pivot-joint, as at G, and bya similar joint with the treadle H, which is connected with thebase-plate O by means ot its axle and the fixtures l I, as at I, Figs. land 3, but may be attached to any suitable fixture outside or separatefrom the other parts ot' the machine, the connecting-rod bein g adaptedto such an arrangement.

A strap or loop is attached to the upper side of the treadle in such amanner that when the foot is placed on the treadle a part of the footwill be under the loop 5 and if the spring J, which is placed under thetreadle to raise and support it, and also, by means of the iniiexiblcconnecting-rod, the lever K and its appendages, is not sufiicientlypowerful, the operator may lift it with his foot.

It should be observed that the spring may be applied to any other partof the machine to which it may be applicable.

L is a stirrup, attached by a hin .ge-joint to the part which projectsdownward from the arm D, and when the stirrup is in positionperpendicular to the arms B and D will secure them from fleXure whenpower is applied to perform the operations required, as the tenori whichprojects from thc end of the arm D will rest on the inside of thesupporting part of the stirrup, as at M, Figs. l and 2.

N is a slotted plate, placed in a dovetailed recess in the front side ofthe post A, and may be moved by means of a screw passing through aiiange on the plate into the side of the post A, so as to determine atwhat point on the arm D the die E shall descend when in operation, asthe tenon which projects from the end ot the die-p1ate F movesvertically in the slot b, Fig. 5.

Fig. 6 is an end view lof the rear end of the vibrating beam G, thedie-plate F, the wedge W, a section of the arm D, the die E, one of thescrews by which the die E is secured in its place, and a side view ofthe lever K reversed, showing the parts, relatively to each other, inposition as when in the operation of press- 1n g.

Fig. 8 is a transverse section of the treadle, representing the loop asseen at an end view, with the loop T attached to it.

Fig. 4. is a side view of sections of the front and rear ends of thevibrating 'beam C and the die-plate F, showing the conical point on therear end ofthe vibrating beam, the conical cavity in the front end ofthe vibrating beam, andthe manner ot' connecting the vibrating beam withthe dielplate, and the conical-pointed screws by which it is effected.

P is a plate attached to the arm D near its rear end to serve as anadjusting gage. lt is represented-as attached to a transverse section ofthe rear end of the arm D, detached from the post A, and shows its rearend. If two pieces of sheet metal to be locked be held on the arm D, incontact with the front side of the plate P, while being pressed, theywill be in line with each other after the operation is performed.

The length of the die E may be varied at pleasure, within the limits ofthe machine.

All parts of the machine, except the treadle, which should be of wood,may be madeeoi' such kind of metal as the manufacturer may deem bestadapted to the purposes for which it is designed.

The several parts of the machine heilig adjusted as described, it' twopieces of sheet metal, or the two ends or sides of one piece, preparedas represented at 7, be placed between the die E andthe arm D, and thetreadle be forced in a downward direction, the die will descend on thefolded portion of the sheet, closing the parts designed for thatpurpose, pressing the seam into proper form between the concave surfaceof the groovev in the die E and the upper surface of the arm D, andtheunder or inside ot the sheet or sheets where they are united will be inline on each side of the joint. Reverse the motion of the treadle andthe die will be withdrawn, when the united article may be removed,either laterally or, if the article has its two ends united andsurrounds the arm in the direction over the front end of the' arm D, thestirrup L will be removed by the motion of the article itself and thepower applied to remove it, when the stirrup will return to its formerposition by its own gravity, or, it' it should fail, may be placed therewithout delay, when the machine will be in position to repeat theoperation.

Having thus described my machine, what l claim as my invent-ion, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. rlhe vibrating beam C, die-plate F, die E, and wedge W, constructedand operating in relation to each other in manner and for purposessubstantially as herein specified.

2. The arms B and D, in combination with the stirrup L, adjusting-gagel), and loop T, substantially as and for lthe purposes set fort-h.

JACOB SHAW.

Witnesses LEONARD J. PARKER, HARRIET S. PARKER.

